The 27-year-old said that at WestConn, he found his academic voice and confidence. He earned a 4.0 grade point average in 2009 with a major in political science for his undergraduate degree. He graduates with a master's degree in August with a 4.0 with a major in history.

He will leave in August and will study social entrepreneurship in Estonia for 18 months at the University of Tartu.

Gaughan is WestConn's third student to win a Fulbright scholarship. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is the largest United States international exchange program.

"I'm excited. I really didn't think I was going to get it,'' Gaughan said in a telephone interview from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he is taking an eight-week language course on Estonia.

"Without the Fulbright, I wouldn't have the opportunity to go to an international university because you can't get financial aid otherwise," Gaughan said.

The Fulbright scholarship will pay for his tuition, living expenses and travel expenses to attend the country's top university.

He will graduate with a master's degree and his research will be about how to help underprivileged people by using ground-breaking types of business models with a goal of making connections between universities and communities.

Gaughan credits Kukk with inspiring him academically, getting him interested in the Baltic region and encouraging him to apply for the Fulbright.

Kukk said Gaughan is an example of why educators enter the field.

"This is someone who didn't believe in his ability," Kukk said. "We opened the doors but he had to walk through them. I am so happy for him."

Kukk received a Fulbright to attend the University of Tartu in 2007-2008.

"When I came back from my Fulbright I made it my mission to tell kids about the program," He said. "Our top 10 students can compete with the top 10 students from schools around the world. The prestige of the Fulbright opens up every door. Kevin is soaring. He's taking off. It's an amazing story and he's worked really hard."

Gaughan said he no longer predicts what the long-term plan for him will be.

"So many times I've tried to visualize where I would be in five years, but it's ended up so drastically different," Gaughan said. "Now, this approach makes me flexible and open to new opportunities."